


Give Me Some Caffeine (Give Me Some More)

by PigSlay



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Bad Puns, Fluff and Humor, M/M, if you like complicated this is NOT for you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-05 13:53:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17326244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PigSlay/pseuds/PigSlay
Summary: Liam works at a café across the street from Harry’s bakery and they take their ‘rivalry’ very seriously, thank you very much.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know One Direction. The only thing real in this fic is that Harry used to work for a bakery, as he’s told us very many times. 
> 
> Alright so I’m not gonna lie to you guys this fic is very uncomplicated, very straightforward sweetness with almost zero fights, so if you are looking for a fanfic that is long and complicated and intense you will have to wait until my SECOND fanfic for the fest is published. This one is very sugary and sweet and quick and uncomplicated. So if that’s something you like then you will like this. Otherwise just wait until fic number two comes your way soon. :) 
> 
> Thank you to Janee for always being my brainstorm buddy; I think we both needed this after the headache of the last fanfic I wrote that you helped me brainstorm. It was definitely a very good de-escalating story and I thank you for helping me brainstorm it, as well as pretty much all my other fanfics. Hehe.
> 
> And thank you to the person in charge of this festival. I need to write more Lirry for sure, and you have helped me to start on that path. :D

“Okay, that one isn’t even funny,” Zayn says. Liam turns from his spot on the ladder with the last letter of the sign in his hand, looking at him. “And also, tourists who are just passing through to get coffee and go, will have no clue what the f*** it means.”

“Sure, but Harry will know what it means, and therefore it will be hilarious,” Liam responds with a passive aggressive smile, not letting Zayn talk down his masterpiece. Zayn just shakes his head with a sigh and returns to stocking up the milk. Technically their boss told Liam to do the milks, but by this point in his career everybody has just accepted that when Liam is working on the weekly (sometimes more than once weekly) sign he is not to be bothered until he’s finished with it.

Liam is very dedicated to his café’s rivalry with the bakery across the street. Very dedicated. He will think up ideas for signs in the middle of the night to tease the workers there and wake up to write them down so he doesn’t forget them. When he’s at a loss he will ask his sister Ruth or his mum for ideas; they tend to have good ones. His dad has never been good at puns like the two of them.

And the biggest reason for this amount of dedication? Well, it’s all thanks to none other than a guy with the worst dimples and curls known to mankind. Harry Styles. Liam and Harry went through school together but they didn’t really interact much, other than occasionally through Zayn. However, a few months after Liam started working at this café, he noticed a sign across the street at Half A Tart Bakery.

_No creamer can ever be as sweet as the delicious croissants we have. Come on in and try one. Love your barista of the month Harry_

After that day Liam made sure Harry - and all the people that work there, but mainly Harry - wouldn’t ever win this war. He immediately began constructing a sign as soon as he clocked in that day, that said:

_Why have half a tart when you have a whole coffee instead? Come on in and enjoy a cup. - Liam_

From then on it just became a thing, and it hasn’t let up all these years later. Neither boy wants to be the killjoy who ends the tradition. Liam puts the final touches on his gorgeous sign, grinning at it as he takes it all in.

_Welcome to Sweet Creamer Café, where we serve more than just dimples._

“Liam, are you almost finished?” his boss, Ally, calls after him. She always has been a master at the art of telling you in the nicest way possible that you’re taking a long time. Her tone never falters from gentle; she’s the kind of person that if you ever made her angry you would truly be signing a death warrant. “I don’t want to keep Zayn longer than he has to be, his wife Gigi might be concerned if he doesn’t come home in time.”

Without even looking Liam can just see the genuinely worried frown on Ally’s face. She is really the most caring boss - most caring person - Liam has ever met. He sometimes wonders how this job and dealing with rude customers on the daily hasn’t once deterred her positive outlook on life and people. He knows he has had to bite his tongue quite a few times in situations Ally just easily handles with a smile that doesn’t even look fake at all. He immensely respects her.

“Yeah, I’m on my way down now boss,” he assures, starting to walk down the ladder. “Tell Zayn to go ahead.”

However, she doesn’t have to, because Zayn is right there. “Thank goodness,” the man in question mutters, clearly still making it loud enough for Liam to decipher. Once Liam is down and putting the ladder back, he tries to think of some smart alec comment to make to Zayn but all of his comedic juices have already been spent on Harry and the sign, so Zayn beats him to the punch. “You know, one of these days Gigi is going to kill you for making me come home late so many times.”

“She married you, she should be used to a certain amount of lateness,” Liam tests, flashing back to all the times Zayn was late to school functions; the first few times it happened Liam would cry, thinking his one best friend didn’t want to go anywhere with him, but soon learning it was just something to be expected with Zayn and his family. ‘On time’ was early for them. One time Liam bought Zayn a ‘sorry I’m late I didn’t wanna come’ shirt for Christmas and he wore it unironically to their Year Eleven homecoming. “I’m sure none of the goats will run away in the five extra minutes you take.”

Zayn tries to look tough and think of another ‘insult’ but a chuckle escapes his lips before he can. “You’re the worst,” he says, pulling Liam into a hug. “See you tomorrow.”

“See you, Zayn.” Liam waves, smiling as he watches Zayn grab his compost bucket and start walking outside.

Zayn started doing this thing a year ago where he would bring his compost bucket with him every time he worked and whenever the black coffee would finish grinding, or the espresso machine would need to be changed, they could put all the wet beans into Zayn’s compost bucket and he would take it home at the end of each shift to help with his garden.

At first Liam had teased him for being a ‘proper farmer boy’ but he actually thought it was a really cool idea. Not only has Zayn and Gigi’s garden grown more beautiful since he started doing it, but it’s also cut down on their coffee waste by a lot, and more customers have even followed Zayn’s lead, asking if they can bring their buckets in as well.

Liam smiles, unable to stop himself from being happy whenever he thinks about his best friend. He and Zayn have truly been through all the highs and lows together - from primary school all the way to post-Uni working at this café. No, it’s not necessarily either of them’s “dream job” per se, but at least for now, they have an awesome team, they get to make delicious coffee and tea, and most importantly, they get to do it all together.

Returning to the register, Liam watches as one of his favorite regulars comes in; another thing about Harry and Liam’s store rivalries is that their customers are just as into it as they are. For example, Kevin, the person coming in right now, always brings with him a reusable cup that has the Half A Tart logo on it and requesting his drink inside it.

“Oh hey Kevin,” Liam says, already starting to type his usual order into the register. “Did they get your order wrong over there again?”

“Yeah,” Kevin banters back. “You know how much they stink at good coffee. What can you do though?”

“That’s why you come here!” Liam laughs, taking his cup and starting to make Kevin’s chai latte with two espresso shots.

“Exactly,” Kevin agrees, scanning his payment and taking a seat nearby to wait.

Liam doesn’t think Kevin has even gone to Half A Tart other than to buy the cup, but the two of them still continue the running joke that Harry makes Kevin’s drink wrong every day and he then comes here to have it made ‘the right way’. It would be absolutely hilarious if it was the truth though, Liam thinks.

Liam walks over to Kevin’s seat and delivers him his drink. Even though Liam knows this is not his ultimate dream job, it’s a darn good one. He much prefers working for this small coffee shop to say, a Dunkin’ Donuts or a Starbucks, because of simple moments like this. Being able to truly talk to and become friends with customers, like Kevin, and having time to just sit with them, get to know them better, because odds are it will be a while before the next person comes in.

“How are your kids?” Liam asks, sitting down on the chair beside him.

“They’re good, they’re good,” Kevin confirms, taking a quick slurp of the latte. “School is starting up again soon and it’s a bit stressful trying to shop for both of them, especially when they’re at completely different grade levels.”

“I can imagine,” Liam replies. Talking to customers with kids is always bittersweet for Liam; he knows he’s too young, too emotionally, mentally, and financially unstable for a kid as of now, but he also would love to have kids someday. He imagines taking them to Disneyland, meeting both his and their favorite characters (but mostly theirs of course), buying them awesome Christmas presents, throwing surprise birthday parties for them… It all is so perfect in his head and he can’t wait for the day these dreams become realities. For now though, he is content with living vicariously through his customers and such.

Before their conversation can continue though, Kevin gets a text on his phone and looks startled when he opens it. “I’m sorry Liam, I gotta go.”

“Is everything okay?” he asks, though he tries to make it obvious in his tone and face that Kevin doesn’t have to answer that if he doesn’t want to. Liam knows they have a very nice friendship thanks to this café, but he still gets nervous that he’s pushing it sometimes.

“Yeah, the little one is just acting up again,” Kevin says, brushing it aside. “See you tomorrow, Liam.”

“See ya then,” Liam smiles, getting up off the chair and going back to the register so that he will be ready whenever the next customer shows up.

***

The next day, Liam waits until his shift is over before peaking at what Harry’s response sign is today – he knows it’s a bit unnecessary to clock out before peaking, but he has always been a stickler for his traditions, no matter how weird they may seem to other people.

And they definitely are weird to other people - just today Zayn told him before he clocked out that he was “taking things too seriously” by making it this big deal and averting his eyes from the bakery every time he went outside.

He had just ignored him – Zayn says this stuff all the time, and Liam has just stopped replying at this point.

When he finishes reading the newest sign though his jaw drops and his eyes go wide.

_We’re more than just coffee, come try our pastries! Making breakfast can be a Payne ;)_

He doesn’t stop until he charges into the bakery, forgoing his imaginary vow to never step in there. He feels briefly embarrassed with how angrily he opened the door when he sees a couple sitting at the table by the door, looking at him with a mix of curiosity and fear.

“Sorry,” he mumbles almost inaudibly, making his way to the counter – which isn’t that difficult, seeing as how it’s only a few short feet from the door. He then waits impatiently for Harry to look up from what he’s doing.

“Hello, what can I get started for- oh.” When Harry looks up, he is full of shock. Liam also finds his own anger faltering slightly. He hasn’t seen Harry since college and he looks… well he looks really stinkin’ good. Curly hair pulled back in a braid, a few tattoos peaking out on his arms and neck, and his chest is really well defined (not that Liam’s staring of course). A smirk then forms on Harry’s lips, shaking Liam out of his trance. “Well, Liam Payne. Did you come to finally admit that our bakery is the superior business and you surrender?”

“Oh buzz off Harry,” Liam responds, anger coming back tenfold. “You know why I’m here. I won’t take that insult sitting down.”

Harry’s smirk rapidly turns into a look of confusion. “What insult? I poke fun at you, you poke fun at me. That’s what we do. Isn’t it?”

“Yes but you brought my last name into the equation,” Liam says, trying to keep his volume level. “And I don’t like that. You made it too personal by doing that.”

Harry’s eyes go wide and even a little moist if Liam’s not mistaken. It’s almost like he can feel Harry’s heart beat increasing just by looking at him. “I’m sorry,” he squeaks out, clearing his throat. “I never meant to hurt your feelings. I will of course take it down immediately.”

Liam doesn’t even get the chance to respond to that before Harry is literally sprinting out to the storage room, taking his gloves off in the process. _Well,_ Liam thinks to himself. _That went much more… abrupt than I expected_. He bites his lip, feeling bad for the way he just barged in here assuming Harry had only horrible intentions with that sign.

Before he can think anymore on it, someone with tan white skin and short brown hair saunters on in. This person is not nearly as built as Harry is but they do have as many, if not a good dozen more, tattoos than Harry does. Liam reads their name tag – Louis.

“Ah, so you are the famous Liam Payne,” Louis says, giggling. “I’ve always wondered what you looked like. I mean, of course I’ve dug through Harry’s embarrassing yearbooks and seen you that way but you have definitely grown a lot since then.” They wink.

His stomach tightens a little bit. “Yeah, well, we all looked pretty dumb in primary school, what can you do?” He shrugs one arm.

For whatever reason Louis finds that reply absolutely hilarious. “I like you Liam Payne. You should come by here more frequently.”

Liam licks his lips, his heart rate starting to go back to a bit more of a comfortable pace. He thinks he likes this person too, already. “Sorry, I can’t do that, I’ve got a reputation to uphold with this feud.” Now he’s the one to wink. “If my boss Ally were to see me here she’d probably worry I’m being held against my will and send out a search party.”

Not really, Ally would probably just smile if she saw him here, maybe making a heartwarming comment about how proud she is of Liam. However, he wants this banter with Louis to continue.

Before it can continue though, Harry returns, his braid a bit messed up from the wind outside and how fast he was running. He’s got that same apologetic face on as before, until he turns to Louis, then back to Liam. “Is he being a tw*t to you?”

“No, not at all-” Liam tries to reassure.

“Louis, go back to doing the dishes,” Harry orders. “Don’t make Liam even more mad at me than he already is.”

Louis rolls his eyes, but obliges. “Sure thing, boss…” He walks to the backroom, and Liam thinks he sees him flip Harry the bird for one second before remembering there are children present.

Harry then turns to face Liam, embarrassment creeping its way back into his face. “I’m sorry about him. If you’ve ever seen a very R rated thing drawn on our sign before, it wasn’t me, it was him. I always try to get it down before anyone comes in but sometimes I’m too slow.”

Liam just smiles. “It’s alright, I think he’s kind of cool.”

“Yeah, he can be cool sometimes, I guess that’s why we keep him around,” Harry mutters, then clears his throat. “Anyway, I’m sorry about the sign. I never meant to attack you or make you feel like you’re a bad person or anything. It was all in good fun and…” he rubs at the back of his neck and plays with the bottom of his braid. “I’m sorry.”

Liam’s heart melts and how can he possibly hold a grudge on someone who looks like a kicked puppy? “No, of course I forgive you,” Liam puts his hand on the counter in what he hopes is a gentle gesture. It seems to work as Harry looks up and puts his hand on top of Liam’s.

“You’re sure? You’re sure we’re cool?” Harry asks, a look on his face like this is almost too good to be true. Liam just nods reassuringly. Harry’s face changes into a smile. “You know what, we’ve been doing this for so long and yet I don’t really know you that much. Would you like to hang out sometime when we’re not working? You can bring Zayn too, if you want.”

Liam finds himself giggling at that. “Well I think Zayn and the missus are too busy with their farm on his days off to be able to do anything with us. But sure, I would love to hang out sometime.” He thinks for a minute. “As long as it’s not this place because as I said to Louis I have a reputation to uphold.”

Harry cracks up at that. “Of course. Not your café either, because so do I.”

“Are you two almost done?” somebody asks, and Liam is so caught off guard his hands go up and he nearly falls on the counter in an attempt to turn around.

“Oh, I’m sorry, how long have you been standing there?” Liam asks, trying to regain his balance.

“Long enough,” the customer deadpans, not blinking.

“Right,” Liam says awkwardly. “Well, uh, I’m gonna go now Harry but uh message me on Facebook, if you still have it, or ask Zayn for my number I guess…”

“Okay!” Harry responds, his cheerful customer service face returning now that this person has arrived. “See you later Liam.”

“See you…” Liam slips out as quickly as possible, not wanting to hold up the line any longer than he already has.

***

_It was eleventh year prom. Liam almost didn’t go because he had just broken up with his girlfriend and he knew she was gonna be there, but in the way only Zayn can, Zayn convinced him he would regret denying himself his eleventh year prom. So he went._

_After taking pictures with his parents Zayn’s parents pulled up to pick him up. Liam was slightly startled because they were right on time, which rarely happened with Zayn. Of course Geoff and Karen insisted on getting pictures with Zayn’s family too, which was slightly embarrassing but Liam smiled nonetheless._

_Taking a seat next to Zayn in the van, he noticed two other people in the backseat. Harry Styles and Nick Grimshaw. He was slightly confused, since Harry was a tenth year, but he supposed since Nick was an eleventh year he could invite him. Liam was kind of jealous if he could be honest – Harry would now get to go to three proms in his lifetime while Liam would only go to two._

_Liam watched Harry and Nick interact for a few minutes. It was probably creepy but the two of them were so enticing to him for some reason, they looked and sounded like such fun people to be friends with. They also seemed way out of his league though, so he never made a move to interact with them._

_Instead, he returned his focus to Zayn. “Thank you for convincing me to go to this,” Liam said, warm smile on his face. “And for being my ‘plus one’.”_

_He and Zayn squirmed when the word ‘date’ was applied to the two of them. A lot of their lecturemates seemed to have it in their heads that Liam and Zayn were meant to be, which was a bit weird for a school in the UK circa 2010 – but then, maybe Harry and Nick being so open and unapologetic about their relationship had had something to do with that attitude._

_“Of course, babe,” Zayn replied. “You never have to be alone.”_

_A few minutes later, Zayn’s parents Trisha and Yaser dropped the four boys off. Harry and Nick wasted no time in rushing to the dancefloor, and had tried to get Zayn to join them, but he promised he’d catch up._

_Liam told Zayn that he could go ahead and join his friends if he wanted to, although secretly he was hoping Zayn would stick with him so he didn’t have to be alone and possibly run into his ex-girlfriend without support. Luckily, Zayn is such a good friend that he could read that all over Liam’s face anyway without him having to say it._

_The two of them just sat down at a table and ate some snacks for a while until Liam finally mustered up the courage to head to the dancefloor with Zayn. They met back up with Harry and Nick, who were both dancing some of the most ridiculous moves Liam had ever seen. And yet, their confidence and carefree attitudes towards anybody who might judge them inspired Liam in a way he couldn’t describe._

***

Liam and Harry are in a pub, both deciding they wanted to go to a place far away from the scents of pastries and coffee. After looking at the menu a few times and deciding what he wants, Liam decides to be the one to start a conversation.

“So Louis called you boss,” he says because that’s the first thing his mind lands on. “Are you the boss at that bakery, or was he just being sarcastic?” As Liam figured out in just one encounter, it’s sometimes hard to tell when Louis is being sarcastic or not.

Harry thinks about this for a second. “Well, I’m not the head boss, the one who owns the bakery. I’m almost like an assistant manager? Non-chain shops don’t really have assistant managers the way chain shops do, I suppose, but that’s the closest description to what I am.”

Liam nods. “Well, I can’t lie, I’m kind of jealous. I’ve been working at this café about as long as you’ve been working at that bakery and I’ve never been offered a promotion.” He swallows a sip of his water, afraid he’s said too much already when the food hasn’t even been ordered yet.

Harry, for his part, looks unbelievably confused, which just makes Liam focus even harder on his water, hoping to duck his head enough so that if he’s blushing it can’t be seen. “What do you mean you’ve never been offered a promotion?”

He sounds genuinely offended, no sarcasm in sight. Liam turns his face up to face the boy again, raising an eyebrow. “No, seriously. You worked harder than literally anybody back when we were in college. Whether it was football or homework, you were on top of things. I find it hard to believe that ambition has left.”

Before Liam can respond to that, the waiter comes back to take their food orders. In the time it takes Harry to tell the waiter what dressing he would like on the salad that comes with his main dish, Liam thinks about what he just said. It’s kind of flattering that Liam’s ambition was so ‘contagious’, for lack of a better word, that Harry noticed it even without talking to him outside of Zayn. Liam’s heart does a little flip thinking about it.

Once the waiter turns to go get their food, Liam faces Harry again. “I wouldn’t say my ambition ever left me. I very much still have the ambition to move up, not only in this job but in life itself.” He shrugs. “I guess my boss just feels other people do it better than me.”

It’s one of his biggest insecurities, one he’s only ever admitted out loud to Zayn, and his heart beats faster. It continues until Harry shakes his head and says, “I don’t believe it’s possible for anyone to have more ambition than Liam Payne, personally, but it’s their loss I suppose.”

They change the subject after that, though Harry being genuinely offended in his honor stays with him all night. It leaves him feeling warm and fuzzy whenever he thinks about it.

They talk about a lot of things – much of it is reminiscing on college, but it’s balanced out with more recent stuff too. Liam learns that Harry and Nick fell apart during Uni, figuring out long distance wasn’t something that worked for the two of them (although Liam can tell from his body language that this was more of Nick’s decision than his own).

“That’s kind of unbelievable to me,” Liam says before he can stop himself. “I mean you two were always the It couple that everybody wanted to be like in school…” Then again, Liam reminds himself, that was eight years ago.

“You sure that wasn’t you and Zayn?” Harry teases, smirk coming up on his face.

“Oh gosh, stop it,” Liam responds, flushing. He wants to put his head on the table and keep it there for the rest of the night, even if he knows Harry’s just teasing. “Do you know I still get people asking if we are a thing to this day?”

“Maybe it’s a sign you should jump on that,” Harry giggles. “I mean I know you’re straight but you gotta make an exception for those cheekbones.”

Liam blinks a few times, his cute embarrassment changing quickly into extreme discomfort. “I’m… not straight…” He tries to keep his tone and demeanor as calm as possible even with how sick he feels inside.

“Oh really?” Harry’s face turns almost purple and, just like back at the bakery, Liam can practically feel Harry’s humiliation just from where he’s sitting. Harry’s a very visibly emotional person, he’s quickly figured out. “Darn it, I’m sorry, I of all people should know better than to assume.”

Liam finds it extremely difficult to hold a grudge on someone whose guilt is written all over their face the way Harry’s is. “That’s alright. I did date a lot of girls growing up, but I definitely did have my fair share of crushes I didn’t chase because… well, you know the time we grew up in. Things were starting to change, but, it still wasn’t ‘acceptable’. I don’t know how you and Nick did it honestly…”

“Sometimes I look back and wonder the same thing…” Harry admits quietly, smiling at him. He smiles back and a silence ensues between them, with what’s left of the food remaining untouched.

Liam quickly becomes suffocated by the silence. This is too personal too quickly, he thinks. Even if Harry is being nice about it, it’s too much. Way too much. Why is he even talking about this extremely personal stuff with someone he’s practically meeting for the first time?

He clears his throat to end his mental overload, reaching for his fork again. “Right, well, I’m not ‘jumping on’ Zayn. Pretty sure Gigi would send their cows after me to stampede my house if I even tried.”

Harry cracks up at that and things go back to the way they were before, no more vulnerable conversations for the rest of the night. Liam still learns a lot of smaller things about Harry though: his favorite band is the Rolling Stones, he has a few demo tapes to his name but doesn’t really have a dream of being super famous (“you get like, no privacy that way, it’s terrible”), and he wakes up every morning at seven am to watch the sun rise while doing daily stretches. In turn, Harry learns a lot of little things about Liam as well.

After finishing their dinners, they have a friendly feud over the bill that inevitably ends with them splitting the check. As they go back to their cars, Harry says, “I had a great time, Liam. I hope we can hang out again the next time we’re both free?”

“Of course,” Liam confirms immediately, standing outside his car door for a moment. “I had a great time with you too.”

Harry smiles, but it falters a second later. “And I’m really sorry about the sign, okay? I never meant to like, hurt your feelings-”

“Hey, stop it,” Liam responds. “Maybe I overreacted, yeah? I promise it’s all okay.” To drive the point home, he brings Harry in for a hug.

Once he pulls away, the two boys stand there a minute, just grinning at each other. “Alright, well, I’ve gotta open tomorrow,” Harry tells him after a minute. “But yeah, definitely call me, okay? We’ll synchronize schedules… or something.”

Liam laughs. “Yeah, definitely. Talk to you soon.” With that, Liam gets in the car and starts driving away, keeping a smile on his face the whole way home.

***

The next day Liam puts up a new sign at the café that says “ _Here at Sweet Creamer Café we are proud to bring you the best Styles of coffee to ever exist, without any of the bitterness other places offer :)_ ” and silently hopes that it comes across the way he wants it to, as a way of telling Harry he does not hold any malice anymore.

Based on the text he gets from Harry a few minutes later, he thinks he succeeds.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case for ANY REASON you have still not seen Avengers: Infinity War by this point, I should warn you this chapter has spoilers for it. Like, defining spoilers. (Watch the movie :P)

It’s been a few days now, and every time either Liam or Harry have been free, the other has been busy. Liam’s not too bothered by it, he knows how it goes. They both have their own lives and own commitments.

However, one week when Zayn and Gigi go on a vacation together – they get their neighbor Taylor Swift to watch their farm for them – Liam is left feeling a bit lonely. He’s not scheduled to work as many days this week as he usually is either, so that also contributes to his feelings. If there’s one thing Liam hates being, it’s bored. He always has to be doing something, sitting around the house makes him feel like a loser.

Scrolling through his phone to get an idea of what to do, he sees a little advertisement online for the newest Avengers movie. He’s been wanting to see that for a long time now, but never had the time. Now he definitely knows what he’s going to do! His first instinct of course is to invite Zayn, the biggest nerd he knows, but before his finger presses the button he remembers Zayn is on vacation.

With a huff, he goes back to his contact list and scrolls through it until he lands on Harry. Maybe it’s a bit last minute, he doesn’t even remember if Harry has a shift today or not, but he goes for it anyway.

Harry picks up on the second ring. “Hi Liam.”

“Hey Harry,” Liam responds a bit quickly, trying to be fast in case Harry does have to go back to work. “Listen, I know this is very last minute and I understand if you have to work tonight, but I was wondering if you would like to go see a movie with me tonight?”

“What movie?” Harry asks, and Liam is honestly amazed he understood him with how fast he was talking.

“Uh… Avengers: Infinity War?” Liam kind-of answers, kind-of asks. “I don’t know if you’re that into comic books but-”

“Sounds great!” Harry replies enthusiastically. “What theatre, and what time?”

“It starts at 3:15 and I’ll text you the theatre name, yeah?” Liam kind-of asks once again, still wanting to make certain he’s not interrupting anything important.

“Perfect!” Harry says. “A really nice lady came in today and gave me a tip, so I can pay for popcorn or candy or whatever.”

Liam can hear the smile in his voice and darn it if that doesn’t send a smile to his face too. “Nah, don’t worry about that babe. I will see you soon though, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Harry confirms with that happy tint still in his voice.

The two boys then hang up and Liam sends Harry a text with the address of the theatre, getting off his couch and into the shower. He knows it’s not for another two hours but he still wants to be as presentable as possible.

Once he’s in the movie theatre two hours later, it doesn’t take long before he finds Harry in line, ordering a medium popcorn. Looking at Harry, he once again thinks he took too much time obsessing over his appearance back home because Harry looks like he just threw on a Rolling Stones T-shirt and sweatpants – but in a good way. Like, it works for him.

Harry turns around with the popcorn in hand, releasing Liam from his weird as heck thoughts. “Hey Liam!” he calls, making his way over now.

“Harry, I told you you didn’t have to do that,” Liam motions to the box. “I know how much rent costs.”

“And so do I,” Harry responds, giving him a one arm hug. “Besides, I’ve already bought it so you might as well thank me for it instead of holding a grudge.”

Liam giggles and pulls away from the hug after a few seconds. “Now, now, Styles, don’t get too cocky there.” They start walking towards the usher, since Liam already ordered and printed the tickets off online.

As they take their seats, the previews are still going. Liam whispers to Harry, “But seriously, thank you for the popcorn. I appreciate it. Did you put anything on it?”

“No, I wasn’t sure if you liked it plain or buttered,” Harry responds, a blush on his cheeks. A bit of a weird thing to be embarrassed by, Liam thinks, but it’s sweet that he cares.

Liam shrugs and takes a handful from the box. “That’s okay. I like both.”

A few minutes and previews of movies pass that Liam makes mental notes to remember, before he turns to Harry again and says softly, “So I know this is a bit weird but… I’ve heard that this movie is going to be a sad one. I haven’t read spoilers or anything, but it definitely has a reputation for being a sad one. So if I like, grab you at any point is that going to be okay? You can say no and I’ll just grab the popcorn box but like-”

“That’s okay, I don’t mind,” Harry promises. “My mate Louis – the one you met at the shop that day? – he acts all tough but get him anywhere close to a horror movie, even a bad horror movie, and he will hug you so hard you can’t breathe.” He giggles, putting another piece of popcorn in his mouth.

Just then, the movie starts and the whole theatre goes quiet, Liam’s mouth already open at the fact that the title sequence is running without its usual music.

***

“Oh my gosh,” Harry says once they are back outside the theatre, having pulled a bunch of napkins out of the complimentary dispensers next to the trashcan, handing a few to Liam as well. He’s ended up crying just as much as Liam is, which is quite the statement. “I can’t believe that! Why did they kill Spiderman? He just – he just got here. He can’t go away yet!” He’s using one napkin to blow his nose and the other to wipe his eyes.

“I know,” Liam says, blowing his own nose and trying to keep his voice down. He doesn’t want to spoil the movie for people who haven’t seen it and want to see it, but it’s difficult to be quiet when he feels so many emotions at once. “And rolling out the commercials for Ant-Man… Like… How are we supposed to just be ‘cool’ with Marvel again two seconds after they kill our favorite characters?”

Harry sniffles and wipes his eyes. “Does that mean you’re not gonna go see it?”

“Oh I’m definitely gonna see it, but it’s like, the principle of the thing, you know?”

That brings sad smiles to both of their faces, slight giggles escaping both of them. Harry walks up and hugs him. “Thank you for inviting me Liam, this was lovely. I mean, going with you was lovely. The movie itself wasn’t but you know… I’ll get over it.”

Liam laughs a little louder at that. “You’re welcome. Thank you for coming with me. As much as it made me cry, I would have cried more if I didn’t get to see it at all.”

Harry nods at that, sniffling one more time before he pulls away from the hug and smiles. “Well, I’ll see you around Liam. I’ll have to spend tonight thinking of the perfect Infinity War related pun to put on our board outside now.”

“Not if I think of it first,” Liam winks, smiling back. With that, both of them wave one final goodbye and go to their respective cars, heading back home. Despite the end of that movie, Liam can’t help but think about how much fun he had with Harry today. He hopes they will hang out again soon, wondering what they will do next.

***

_Legend has it the coffee from Sweet Creamer will give you the ability to stop Thanos from stealing the last Infinity Stone._

Liam lets out a chuckle as he puts up the new board. He takes a picture of it, just in case he has to change it before Zayn and Gigi get back from vacation. It’s probably not his best work, but it will do for now. After finishing it up, he returns to making drinks.

When his shift ends a few hours later, he looks across the street to see Harry’s response and almost cracks up.

_Who needs legends when you have pastries from our bakery? Thor loved them so much that he slammed one on the floor and said “I like this. Another!”_

Liam snaps a picture of it so he can show Zayn that one as well. While he’s on his phone he sends Harry a text that says

_U know thats not exactly an ‘Infinity War’ reference, babe *laughing emoji*_

Harry texts him back as Liam’s getting into the car. _Yeah yeah yeah. It’s an Avengers reference all the same , don’t be picky .Xx_

Liam laughs again, turning his phone on vibrate and setting it in the drink holder as he puts his seatbelt on. He thinks he hears it buzz again but doesn’t check it until he gets back home.

As he lays down on his bed ready to binge-watch a few episodes of a new Netflix show, he pulls out his phone and sees the second text Harry sent him.

_By the way , was wondering if you would like to go to a concert w me? Could return the favor for you taking me to the movie .Xx_

**LP:** _Depends on how soon it is . I don’t wanna say yes and then in 3 months I can’t stand you or summat. Lol._

Liam shakes his head at himself immediately after pressing send. Why would he say something so dumb? When the little checkmark appears to indicate Harry read it, he blushes even more. Before he can add in a “just kidding” text or anything though, the three little dots that signal Harry is typing appear.

 **HS:** _Actually , more like this Friday. My friend Niall who was supposed to go with me had an emergency so he had to fly back home to Ireland …_

 **LP:** _Oh. *sad face* Is he okay ?_

Liam really isn’t sure whether he should say yes to going to a concert with Harry if his friend needs him…

 **HS:** _Yeah, he assured me that it’s just something his dad is going thru that he needs his son’s help with…_

 **LP:** _…Ok. Well I would love to go to the concert with you this Friday. Just text me the time and addy, yeah?_

 **HS:** _Awesome! *happy face* Thanks Liam._

Liam smiles as he returns to his laptop screen and clicks on the Netflix show. A few minutes into the episode Harry will text him the address and time but he won’t look at it until he finishes the final episode of the season at eleven PM (which isn’t late by most people’s standards, but it definitely is for Liam).

***

“You know, I’ve never been to anything like this before,” Liam says as they walk inside the community center where the concert is gonna take place.

“To a concert?” Harry asks, confused.

“No,” Liam shakes his head, laughing slightly as he thinks about how many concerts he’s already been to in his young life. “To a small, local concert. Usually when I go to concerts they’re huge names like Kanye West. Saw him at the O2.”

Harry snorts. “‘Can-ye West,’” he repeats, imitating Liam. He earns a light shove from Liam, which only ends up with Harry laughing even harder. When people start staring at them, he quickly clears his throat to stop the giggles. “Well, I promise you, this band is really incredible. They will definitely be a worthy one for your first small time concert.”

“I have no doubts,” Liam responds, smiling as the two of them stand behind the other people waiting for the band to play.

A few moments later, the group comes out and they start setting up. There’s a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, and a keyboard player setting up their instruments and making sure they are well-tuned. After everything is plugged in, the guitarist comes up to the main microphone and says, “Thank you for coming. We’re Fierce Fortress, and we hope you enjoy.”

 _Fierce Fortress_ , Liam repeats in his head. _That’s quite a name_. He silently wonders too if Fortress is a pun on there being four of them, or if he’s just been spending too much time with Harry lately and has become more punny as a result.

Speaking of Harry, Liam turns towards him and sees that he’s getting his groove on to whatever song this is. People are clearly giving him judgmental expressions but he doesn’t pay them any mind, putting his entire focus on the band in front of him and the moves he’s doing. The band, for their part, seem to be very complimented by Harry, smiling at him and giggling slightly.

And by the third song, darn it if Liam isn’t dancing too. This band is a really talented lot, and Harry’s level of not caring brings an energy out inside him too. Sure, it’s not the same as everybody in the entire O2 arena dancing and singing along to Kanye, but Harry alone is almost as electric as a whole stadium, Liam thinks.

They do a slower song, and Liam and Harry wrap their arms around each other’s shoulders and sway, since they can’t really shake their butts to a song like this. Liam pinches his lips to hold back a snort at that thought – this isn’t a song for snorting either, he reminds himself!

After one final upbeat song, accompanied by one final dance from Liam and Harry, the band takes a small bow. The singer slash guitarist ends by saying, “Thank you for coming to see us. We are Fierce Fortress, feel free to take a business card.” With that, they turn around, everyone unplugging their instruments and taking them safely backstage.

Liam goes up to the stage and carefully takes one of the business cards off the side, putting it in his pocket. He really likes them and hopes to be able to look them up on Facebook. Before he realizes it, Harry is taking his hand that’s not in his pocket and pulling him a few feet away where there’s a few seats wrapped around what looks like a pub.

Harry sits them down on two of the chairs and looks at Liam with an expectant smile on his face. “So,” he draws out the world, then all at once, “what did you think?!”

Liam has to take a second to answer because Harry was so abrupt just now. Eventually he says, “I thought they were really great, yeah! I hope a record label finds their stuff somehow and hits them up because that was really, that was really cool.” He grins awkwardly, not sure he’s being coherent.

Harry, however, just keeps smiling at him the more he talks. Liam’s heartbeat catches at that, though he’s not sure why. “Up there with Kanye West at the O2?”

“Well… I wouldn’t go that far,” Liam giggles.

“Yeah, I’d have to agree,” someone next to Liam says, startling him. He turns around and sees it’s the lead singer slash guitarist of Fierce Fortress, with the other members close behind. “Though that’s very nice of you to think we’re worthy of that comparison, Harry, I think you probably crossed a line.”

“Mitch! Dude!” Harry calls, walking past Liam to high five the singer, who is apparently named Mitch.

“Wait, you two know each other?” Liam asks, suddenly feeling like a… sixth wheel? If that’s even a thing.

“I know Mitch and Clare,” Harry clarifies, motioning to the one Liam remembers as the keyboard player. “We met in Uni and could hardly be removed from each other’s sides after that.”

Liam nods, straightening his back a little bit. “So this wasn’t a concert you decided to go to because you were a fan then… You came to support your friends.”

Harry shrugs. “I mean, obviously I like their music too. If their music was s***, I wouldn’t bother coming.” The keyboard player, Clare, lightly shoves him. “Hey! What did I say?”

Liam giggles, shaking his head. Harry is absolutely ridiculous. Probably the most ridiculous person he knows…

“Well, new subject,” Mitch says, putting a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Harry, I can’t believe you didn’t tell us you’d be bringing this lovely gentleman. What’s your name young man?”

Liam laughs at Mitch calling him a ‘lovely gentleman’, slight blush creeping up before he can stop it. “I’m Liam.”

“Well, nice to meet you Liam,” Mitch removes his hand from Harry and holds it out for Liam to shake. He shakes it. “I’m glad to see you’re finally moving on from Nick, Harry. It’s way past time.”

Liam starts blushing for a completely different reason. Harry scrambles immediately, “No-no-no, it’s not like that. We’re not dating…”

“Oh really?” Mitch asks, sounding genuinely surprised. Liam’s cheeks just continue getting redder. “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to assume. It was just the way it looked from the stage with your dancing and all…”

That’s when Harry clears his throat and claps his hands, practically yelling as he says his next words. “Well! What are we doing just sitting around this pub and not ordering anything?! Come on, lunch is on me!” It’s like three PM at this point, so Liam would hardly consider it lunch, but he’s happy for the ending to that awkward moment. From the look on the worker’s face they were tired of the loitering too.

***

Things are slightly weird on the way home. Liam knows it’s because of what Mitch said earlier but he doesn’t like it. It’s too much tension around someone as exuberant as Harry.

“So Haz,” Liam says, trying to use a nickname to clear the air. “There were a bit too many cooks in the kitchen back there.” They both laugh awkwardly at his bad bakery pun. “But did you have fun, with me?”

“Of course I did, I always have fun with you,” Harry assures. Liam gets a little bit of a genuine smile back on his face at that comment. “And I’m sorry if I seem distant right now. Mitch left me a bit speechless with that comment though… About the way we were dancing making him think it was clear we were dating…”

Liam bites his lip and thinks he’s probably going to regret the thing he says next but he goes for it anyway, just to see what will happen. “Well, what do you think about it? Do you think he might be onto something?”

Harry makes a surprised noise at that and Liam is pretty sure if they weren’t at a red light he would have ran into the sidewalk or something. “Liam Payne… is that your way of asking me out?”

Liam’s heart beats faster but he tries not to show it. “Hey, I asked a question first. First come first served as we say in this café business.”

Harry laughs a bit louder than Liam thinks his statement deserves, but it’s cute nonetheless. As the light turns green, he clears his throat. Liam almost doesn’t think he’s going to answer, but right as he’s about to figure out a way to take what he said back, Harry finally speaks. “Well, I definitely think Mitch is onto something, yes.”

The two grin at each other as Harry pulls up to Liam’s house. “So is that your way of saying yes?” Liam teases as he starts to unbuckle, mimicking Harry’s question from earlier.

“I guess it is,” Harry confirms, cracking up again.

“Well… then can I have a goodbye kiss?” Liam requests, already putting his lips up for good measure.

Harry laughs, shaking his head. “You’re ridiculous.” He leans over the gear shift and brings Liam’s face closer to his in a small, amazing kiss.

***

It’s been a week since Liam and Harry started dating thanks to that light push from Mitch and the rest of Fierce Fortress. Liam feels like he’s been on cloud nine ever since.

Of course, he still makes time to continue the tradition of putting up ridiculous puns at Half A Tart’s expense because there are some traditions you just don’t change.

Wiping at the sweat on his forehead, he finishes hanging up the latest one when he sees a familiar face come through the front door.

“Zayn!” Liam yells, practically running down the ladder and towards his friend, bringing him in for a big hug.

“Woah, woah, be careful babe,” Zayn giggles. “You could injure yourself by trying to get down the ladder that fast.” Despite his words though, he hugs back just as hard.

Not wanting to be the reason Zayn is late for his shift, Liam pulls back after a few moments, taking his hand so they can walk and talk with each other. “So how did you and Gigi enjoy your vacation? Did Taylor take good care of your chickens while you were gone?”

Zayn snorts. “Yeah she always does a good job of taking care of our babies. Came back to some beautiful eggs in the fridge.” He carefully walks into the backroom to clock in, and Liam stops by the door, waiting. “And me and Gigi had a sick time at the beach, although she woke up a few times worried that the cows hadn’t been fed yet. I had to remind her the cows weren’t here before she could run out the door all the way.”

Liam finds that story hilarious, and it definitely sounds like something he could see Gigi doing. “Anyway,” Zayn continues, almost done typing. The question Liam has been waiting for is on the tip of his lips, he can tell. “What did I miss while I was gone?”

“Oh not much,” Liam shrugs. “Ally ordered a new ice machine because our old one broke down. That’s about as interesting as it gets.” Zayn stands up, smiling because of course it is. As soon as he gets all the way to the register and starts typing something on it, Liam continues. “Oh and me and Harry started dating.”

He watches as Zayn’s fingers mess up and cause an error message to come on the screen. ** _“What the f-?”_**


End file.
